This invention relates to reflex reflective type highway delineators particularly useful for mounting upon median barriers or guard rails so that the highway directional conditions will be more clearly apparent to a vehicle driver. More particularly, the invention relates to a highway delineator which readily can be mounted upon either metal guard rails or concrete barriers, both frequently used in a median area for separating oppositely flowing traffic.
The use of some form of median dividing structure for separating oppositely flowing traffic in modern highway design is well known. Generally this use consists of either a longitudinally extending barrier set along a median portion of the roadway for dividing traffic while minimizing the glare effect of oncoming traffic headlights; or, alternatively, the use of a continuous guard rail formed of sheet iron or steel and contoured into a generally W-shaped arrangement, vertically mounted on wooden or metal posts. In this case, a longitudinally extending U-shaped through or recess is provided between the upper and lower buffer or guide portions of the rail.
It is well known in modern highway design to utilize various types of reflex reflective marking devices along the highway. The term reflex reflector as used herein is intended to encompass all those forms of reflectors which receive an incident beam of light from an oncoming vehicle and generally reflect the light back to the vehicle so that the reflector serves as a signal device for the driver to indicate the highway edge or as lane delineators.
Applicants' assignee has sold pavement markers such as those found in Heenan U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,327 for this purpose for many years. Similarly, other forms of reflex reflective devices have been mounted on spaced poles along the side of the highway where pavement markers could not be conveniently used.
In order to enhance the safety accomplishments achieved by this reflectorization concept as applied to highway design, there have been numerous attempts to provide reflectorized markings on the concrete barriers or metal guardrails, so that the highway edge will be more clearly delineated at night and under inclement weather conditions. With high speed, multiple lane turnpike driving, it is important that the change in roadway direction be more clearly apparent so the driver has more time to react to conditions.